February 15, 2019 THE HOUNDS OF HEAVEN
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Years ago I heard or read a sermon titled the ‘Hounds of Heaven’ and recently I have been reminded of that message. As you know, hound dogs, or blood hounds pursue whatever they are after, whether it be a rabbit or fox or whatever. Someone has said that when a blood hound picks up the scent of something he wants to pursue, his nose goes down and his ears go off-once he’s on the trail, he no longer pays attention to anyone’s voice. That’s the idea of the word ‘follow’ in the above verse. The Greek word for follow as used in Psalm 23:6 is ‘Katadioko’ and is defined as ‘to follow up or closely, with the determination to find, the idea of a hard persistent search.’ (I’m not a Greek scholar-I had to look the word up). With this understanding of the word ‘follow’ as used in Ps 23, we can rightly say that ‘goodness and mercy’ are the hounds of heaven! I believe that as we get older, because we have a longer life to look back over, we have the opportunity to see that surely-goodness and mercy have pursued us. But no matter our age, young or old, to know that God is always desiring to show us goodness and mercy is a truth that should turn our hearts to Him. As this sermon came to mind, so did the song we use to often sing “Surely Goodness and Mercy.” Here are a few words from that hymn: ‘the kind Shepherd found me,’ ‘He restoreth my soul when I’m weary, He giveth me strength day by day; He leads me beside the still waters.’ The idea of goodness and mercy pursuing us may cause one to think that we will never experience difficulties and trials-not true. The good news is that no matter what circumstances we may face, God is for us and it is His desire and His ability to show us ‘goodness and mercy’ in all situations-that’s how great He is. There is some clarification needed: it’s true that God is always desiring to bless us, even when we are pursuing our on ways over pursuing Him; and it is also true that the one who’s heart is turned to the Lord and he or she is walking in His ways, will experience His goodness and mercy in ways that the one who is not pursuing Him will experience. I think that the main thing for us is to know in the deepest part of our being that God is good and the greatest pursuit in our life should be that of pursuing Him. The greatest and highest reality to experience in all of life is that of us pursuing God and God pursuing us. God has already unleashed the hounds of heaven, and these hounds never tire and they never give up! Beware-You and I are being pursued! The hounds have picked up our scent.
Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”
Psalm 145:9; 34:8 “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
Psalm 139:16-17 “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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